Nagging Reminder About Stalk
Health Concerns

ack in mid-August, I fear-mongered about the risk of
stalk health problems with this year's corn crop due to the multitude of
stresses many fields have experienced throughout the growing season (Nielsen,
2003). Given the continued slower than normal crop progress and
delayed
harvest (Indiana Ag.
Statistics, 9/22/03) plus the recent and forecasted stormy weather
statewide that threatens to delay harvest further, the concern about the
consequences of poor stalk health is more immediate and real.

Many of the cornfields I have walked in recent weeks are indeed
afflicted with varying degrees of stalk damage by root/stalk rots and European
corn borer tunneling. Stalk lodging itself is not very prevalent YET, but the
risk of its occurrence is quite high in many fields if the right (or wrong)
storm decides to invade the neighborhood.

The development of stalk health tribulations cannot be stopped once
started, but growers nonetheless can attempt to schedule high-risk fields for
as early a harvest as possible once field conditions improve. Obviously,
scheduling high-risk fields for early harvest requires that these fields have
been previously identified as high risk for stalk lodging potential. While
admittedly a pain in the rear to do, I strongly encourage growers to spend time
walking fields in coming days and determine which are at greatest risk of stalk
lodging due to stalk health concerns.